New Jersey Governor Criticizes Practice of Shifting New York Mentally Ill To New Jersey Facilities

New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey (D) on Nov. 18 criticized New York Gov. George Pataki (R) for allowing hundreds of former New York state psychiatric hospital residents to be sent to New Jersey nursing and adult homes, the New York Times reports (Levy, New York Times, 11/19). Over the last eight years, New York has shifted hundreds of its psychiatric patients to "problem-plagued" nursing homes and adult homes in other states. New York's Medicaid program covers the cost of care for psychiatric patients transferred to out-of-state nursing homes and adult homes, but the program "still realizes substantial savings" because the federal government covers part of the cost; the federal government does not cover part of the cost of care for patients in the New York psychiatric hospital system. Meanwhile, out-of-state facilities that accept New York psychiatric patients have "reaped hundreds of million of dollars" from New York's Medicaid program. New York has transferred a number of psychiatric patients to New Jersey facilities that provide inadequate care, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services has said (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 11/18). "The practice, if documented, violates acceptable notions of decency, as well as legal and moral standards for patient health care. New Jersey was clearly not briefed as to the significance nor the intent of these transfers," McGreevey said. He added that New Jersey would conduct "special inspections" of two nursing homes that are now caring for more than 300 New York patients, "despite having no mental health credentials," the Times reports. McGreevey said state Attorney General David Samson (I) would work with New York officials to develop a protocol for future transfers, but added that if no agreement can be reached, the state might seek a court order to block the transfers. The Pataki administration has said the transfers are "appropriate," the Times reports (New York Times, 11/19).